Birthright citizenship is birth in the United States and is protected by which amendment?

• A. Birthright citizenship is birth in the United States and is protected by the 10th Amendment.
• B. Birthright citizenship is birth in the United States and is protected by the 1st Amendment.
• C. Birthright citizenship is birth in the United States and is protected by the 19th Amendment.
• D. Birthright citizenship is birth in the United States and is protected by the 14th Amendment.

Answer: (D)

Birthright citizenship means you are a U.S. citizen because you were born on U.S. soil. This protection comes from the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which states that all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States. This clause establishes birth in the United States as a basis for citizenship, with some narrow exceptions (such as children of foreign diplomats who aren’t subject to U.S. jurisdiction). The other amendments listed do not address how someone becomes a citizen at birth: the 10th relates to state powers, the 1st protects fundamental freedoms, and the 19th guarantees voting rights for women. So, birthright citizenship is protected by the Fourteenth Amendment.